Interior lock-release for safes and vaults.



R. S. WOOLDRIDGE.

wmsmoa LOCK RELEASE roa SAFES AND VAULTS.

Patented June 20,1916.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. 191 5. 1,188,229.

WWI um avwewtoz inviran srarns PAT T W RICHARD s. WQOLDRIDGE, or HARRIsoivv'ILLE, vrlssoun INTERIOR LOCK-RELEASE roia $AFES AND vAULTs.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S. OOL- BRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisonville, in the county of Cass and State of 'Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interior Lock-Releases for Safes and Vaults; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My 1nvent10n has for 1ts obgect the pro- VlSlOIl of simple and inexpenslve means whereby in case a person should be trapped in a safe or vault, he may release the lock ing mechanism thereof and may thus free himself.

IVith this general object in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawing which constitutes a part of this application and in which Figure 1 is an inner side view of a portion of a safe or vault door showing the application of the improved lock release thereto; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and, Fig. 3 is a second horizontal section showing a modified form of construction.

In specifically describing the construction shown in the drawings above briefly described, similar characters will be placed on corresponding parts throughout the several nates a portion of a safe or vault door,said

door being equipped with the usual locking unit consisting of bolts 2 and an upright bar 3 to which said bolts are secured.

For holding the locking unit in operative position with the bolts 2 projected,a second locking unit is provided, the latter consisting of a swinging member 4: commonly known as a drop lever, and a lock 5 for holding said drop lever against movement when once shifted to operative position. The lever 4 is usually L-shaped and is fulcrumed at its angle to the door as indicated at 6, one end of said lever having a keeper 7 to receive the bolt 8 of the lock 5, while a de- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jung 20, 1916,

Application filed March 20, 1916. Serial No. 85,443.

tachable connection is provided between the other end of said lever and the bar 3.

Thefulcrum 6 is preferably in the form of a rock shaft secured at one end to the lever 4,.the other end of said shaft passing rotatably through an opening in the door 1 and being provided with an operating handle 6 By this construction, when the bolt 8 has been first retracted, thehandle 6 may be turned to rock lever 4: to shift the bar 3 in either direction to project or retract the bolts 2 as the. case may be. r

In Figs. 1 and 2 the detachable connection referred to is in the form of a pin 9 having an enlarged inner end 10 which is threaded through an aperture in the bar 3, the free end of said pin being received loosely in a slot 11 in the last named end of the lever 4. A fiange12-preferably projects laterally from the inner end of the pin 9 t0 abut the inner surface of the bar 3 for the purpose of limitingthe movement of said pin as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to render the pin 9 removable from the interior of the safe or vault, a lug 13 isformed integrally with the inner end of said pin, and a crank l4c is pivoted to said lug, said crank normally assuming the position shown in Fig. 1 but being capable of movement from one side of the pin to the other in order that it may operate in cramped quarters. It is to be observed that the pin 9 is the only connection between the lever 4 and the bar 3, and thus when this pin is removed, said bar may be moved to retract the locking bolts 2 allowing the safe door to be opened.

' In Fig 3 a slightly modified form of construction is shown. In this figure a pin 9 having the same function as the pin 9'is illustrated, said pin, however, being threaded through a sleeve 15 which sleeve will be received in the opening 11 of the lever 4. Both forms of the connecting pin will be equally advantageous, and regardless of the type used, it may be readily removed at will as above described. Q

From the foregoing it will be obvious that although the improvement is extremely simple and inexpensive, it will be highly advantageous since it readily allows a person trapped within a safe or vault to release the locking means thereof and thus escape.

In conclusion, I wish it understood that although I have shown and described certain specific details of construction for the attainment of probably the best results, nu-

merous changes may be made within the retain the locking unit in operative position,

the pivotal connection between said member and locking unit being detachable from the interior of the safe or vault to allow a person trapped therein to open the door and escape.

2. The combination with a safe or vault, of a locking unit for the door thereof, a swinging member pivoted to the door, a pin pivoting said member to the locking unit, and a lock for holding said swinging member against movement to retain the locking unit in operative position, the aforesaid pin being removable from the interior of the safe or vault to allow a person trapped therein to open the door and escape.

3. The combination with a safe or vault, of a bolt projecting and retracting bar carried by the door of said safe or vault and movable toward and away from the edge thereof, an L-shaped lever fulcruined to the door for holding the aforesaid bar in operative position, a lock cooperating with said lever for preventing movement of the latter until said lock is released, a pin threaded through the aforesaid bar and projecting beyond the same, the-lever having an opening receiving said pin therein, whereby it establishes a pivotal connection between said lever and the aforesaid bar, and a handle for removing said pin from the interior of the safe to break the aforesaid connection, whereby the bolt projecting and retracting bar of the door may be operated to retract the bolt by a person trapped in the safe or vault.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD S. VVOOLDRIDGE. l Vitnesses: I W. L. P. BURNEY H. B. SoRUeGs Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

